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This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records:

Copies of all 2015 audits of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the Homeland Security Grant Program.

Summary reports of these audits are available through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse's Image Management System. I would like to clarify that I am requesting copies of the full audit reports.

I also ask that all fees be waived for this request as I am a journalist employed by the Lowell Sun and I intend to use the requested records to publish articles in the public's interest and not for any commercial purposes.

I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

This acknowledges receipt of your June 15, 2016 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), received in our office on June 15, 2016. You are seeking copies of all 2015 audits of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the Homeland Security Grant Program. You would like summary reports of these audits that are available through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse's Image Management System.Due to the increasing number of FOIA requests received by this office, we may encounter some delay in processing your request. Per Section 5.5(a) of the DHS FOIA regulations, 6 C.F.R. Part 5, the Department processes FOIA requests according to their order of receipt. Although FEMA's goal is to respond within 20 business days of receipt of your request, the FOIA does permit a 10-day extension of this time period. As your request seeks numerous documents that will necessitate a thorough and wide-ranging search, DHS/FEMA will invoke a 10-day extension for your request, as allowed by Title 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(B). If you care to narrow the scope of your request, please contact our office. We will make every effort to comply with your request in a timely manner; however, there are currently 1676 open requests ahead of yours.Provisions of the Act allow us to recover part of the cost of complying with your request. We shall charge you for records in accordance with the DHS Interim FOIA regulations as they apply to media requestors. As a media requestor you will be charged 10-cents a page for duplication, although the first 100 pages are free. We will construe the submission of your request as an agreement to pay up to $25.00. You will be contacted before any further fees are accrued.

We have queried the appropriate program offices of FEMA for responsive records. If any responsive records are located, they will be reviewed for determination of releasability. Please be assured that one of the FOIA Specialist in our office will respond to your request expeditiously as possible. We appreciate your patience as we proceed with your request.To check the status of your FOIA requests you may use the online check status capability at http://www.dhs.gov/foia-status. Simply enter your request number and click the "Check Status" button. More information concerning the FOIA and implementing DHS regulations is available on-line at: www.dhs.gov/xfoia/editorial_0318.shtm<http://www.dhs.gov/xfoia/editorial_0318.shtm>.Your request has been assigned reference number FEMA 2016-FEFO-01946. Please refer to this identifier in any future correspondence. If you need to contact our office concerning this request, please call (202) 646-3323 or electronically at FEMA-FOIA@fema.dhs.gov<mailto:FEMA-FOIA@fema.dhs.gov>.

I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on June 15, 2016. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed.

Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.

I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on June 15, 2016. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed.

Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.

I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on June 15, 2016. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #2016-FEFO-01946.

Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.

Not all of the components that have been assigned your case have responded. I am unable to provide and estimated completion date as I don’t know when the POC (Point of Contact) will provide a response.

Good Afternoon, The final release to your request was returned to us as undeliverable. We have re-sent your documents to the correct mailing address. Your tracking number is 7016 1370 0001 3418 2279 and the password for your documents is FEMA*01946. If you need to contact this office again concerningyour request, please provide the FEMA reference number .This will enable us to quickly retrieve the information you are seeking andreduce our response time. This office can be contacted at (202)212-3323. 2016-FEFO-01946 Regards, Caroline Belleman Disclosure Branch Information Management Division Office of the Chief Administrative Officer Federal Emergency Management Agency U.S. Department of Homeland Security